Harmlessness to humans, animals, plants, and environment

This article is reproduced after the book: Biostimulant Albit for increasing yields and
protection of agricultures against diseases, A.K. Zlotnikov, Ed. Prof. E.À. Melkumova.

Principal purpose of pesticides is eradication of pests and suppression of
their growth, therefore most of them are quite toxic. Problems of toxicity
of pesticides and attendant problems of hygiene and personnel defense, storage
and recycling of unused and expired pesticides, protection of environment are
challenging to today’s agriculture. Lots of chemical pesticides such as group
of chlororganic compounds, triazines, derivates of picoline acid are very stable
in biological media, that brings a danger of their accumulation in natural
environment. Frequent using of the same pesticides leads to formation of resistant
pathogenic strains. Moreover, chemical pesticides affect both harmful and useful
organisms, that lead to damages in ecosystems.

Only some of bioformulations and very few of chemical means of plant protections
are not toxic to humans, animals, plants and environment.

Comprehensive study of toxicological and hygienic effect of Albit on higher
animals, fish, bees and water organisms was carried out in 1999-2008 in Research
and Development Center of Toxicology and Hygienic Regulation of Biological
Preparations of Ministry of Health of Russia, All-Russia Institute of Nature
Conservation, R&D Institute of Fish Breeding and All-Russia Institute of
Veterinary Sanitary, Hygiene and Ecology Rus. Acad. Agric. Sci. According to
results of this study, Albit was rated as Class 4 Hazardous Agent after
GOST 12.1.007-76 (practically non-toxic compounds), whereas absolute majority
of pesticides belong to more dangerous 1, 2 and 3 classes of hazard. Even many
of well-known bioformulations belong to 3rd class of hazard; in other words, Albit
is remarked for its harmlessness even as compared to analogous bio-products.

Albit also shows no toxicity to plants (phytotoxicity). Application
of Albit does not require any special hygienic safety precautions. Albit is
safe to use (non-explosive, non-combustible)
and possesses pleasant coniferous smell. In soil and plant tissues Albit is
quickly degraded to non-toxic natural compounds.

Problems of pesticides toxicity are important not only in respect to their
hygienic properties and influence on staff and animals, but also in respect
to organic crop production (environmentally-friendly, organic
farming).

Albit is allowed for use in organic farming of Switzerland and
the European Union
(see the certificates). This advantage
is unique among Russian products.

In the European Union countries, where quality standards of agricultural production
are especially high, farmers are additionally subsidized for decrease of chemical
pesticide load on plants. Application of Albit on apple, vine, strawberry,
and other horticultures, berry cultures and vegetables makes
it possible to manufacture safe organic production of high dietary quality. According
to reports of All-Russia Institute of Plant Protection, application of Albit
on apple and berry cultures made possible 3-fold reduction of chemical fungicides
consumption, that is especially important for manufacturing of agricultural
production used for infant food and alimentary therapy. In case of vine, the
application of Albit makes a 50% reduction of chemical fungicides consumption
possible (All-Russia Institute of Viticulture and Vine processing,
North-Caucasian Institute of Horticulture and Viticulture, 2002-2004). According
to reports of All-Russia Institute of Vegetable Selection and Seed Breeding,
Albit decreases vegetables nitrates content by 16-26 % and
shifts ascorbic acid/nitrates ratio towards physiologically safe values, thus,
improving their quality and safety.

The primary active ingredient of Albit – poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (poly-beta
-hydroxybutyrate, PHB) belongs to completely non-toxic biocompatible
biopolymers. In particular, it is used for manufacturing of the environmentally-friendly
packaging material, osteal and chondral implants in the surgery, microcapsules
for the controlled medicine dosage. Within several days PHB granules of Albit
are completely destroyed by the natural soil and plant microbial community.

Due to the application of Albit in the organic farming there might a problem
arising from the fact that the product contains mineral fertilizers (nitrate,
sulphate, phosphate etc.) reinforcing PHB effect, which should not be used
in the organic crop production as its products may preserve their residual
quantities.

This problem was brought up when considering toxicological properties of the
preparation during the assessment carried out by the Ministry of Health Care
in 2004. For this assessment, Albit LLC specialists prepared the below summarizing
table:

Table. Comparison of the mineral components content in Albit working
solution and their natural content in plants (soil)

For the purpose of this table, 1% Albit concentration in working solution
is used (which is maximum concentration applied in practice, recommended for
the sunflower seeds treatment). In fact 0.1–0.5% solution is used for
the seeds treatment of the majority of agricultures, and 0.1% solution – at
vegetation spraying.

Thus, the mineral content in Albit spray material even at its maximum allowable
concentration is 1.2–11.5 times lower than natural content of these
substances in the plants (and when spraying vegetative plants with
Albit solution – 120–1150-fold lower). In the latter, case
only very small amount of the spray hits on each plant, and the actual quantity
of mineral substances delivered with Albit is even smaller.

When applying recommended dosages, negligibly small quantities of the mineral
substances are introduced with Albit spray material – much smaller, than those
naturally contained in the plants. Correspondingly, residual concentrations
in the crop products are completely absent.

This fact is validated by the regulatory documents. Application of Albit preparation
in accordance with the approved application standards does not lead
to the exceeding of hygienic standards of the toxic and hazardous compounds
contained in cultivated agricultural products (National Sanitary Regulations
SANPIN 2.3.2.1078-01), in the domestic and community water consumption (Hygienic
Regulations 2.1.5.1315-03 and 2.1.5.1316-03), and in agricultural soils (HR
2.1.7.2041-06, HR 2.1.7.2042-06) (“Protocol of Sanitary and Healthcare
Inspection of Federal Supervision Agency for Customer Protection and Human
Welfare No.77.99.30.929.À.001215.12.08 dated 05.12.2008”).

Albit is approved for use in the fishery conservation zones of water
bodies (“Expert Opinion on the Materials of Toxic-commercial
fishing Characteristics of Plant Growth Regulator, Fungicide and Antidote
Albit, Rostov-on-Don, ARDIF, 2008”, “State Registration Certificate
under No. 1686-09-107-150-0-0-3-1, 2008”).

The largest leading vegetable-growing farm in Moscow region, Dashkovka, has
been using Albit for several years, and its production is certified by Moscow
System of Voluntary Certification as ‘Ecological Products’.

Albit does not exhibit toxic properties, but on the contrary, when applied in
combination is capable of reducing or completely abolishing toxic effect of chemical
pesticides on the agricultural plants (antidote effect).
It is the cause of high effectiveness of mixtures of Albit and chemical fungicides,
herbicides and insecticides.

Albit is able to selectively reduce the accumulation of radionuclides in
biomass of agricultural plants. It was demonstrated in field experiments by
All-Russia Institute of Legume and Groat Crops RAAS, carried out in Orel region
(2001-2003), that Albit definitely reduces the uptake of radioactive elements
with the yield. When treating pea plants with Albit (pre-sowing and vegetation
sprays), Cesium radionuclide contamination of the yield according to perennial
data was decreasing by 2.5-7.1 Bq/kg (9.6-21.1%) in comparison with the control.
Radiocesium accumulation factor was decreasing by 0.005-0.03 (3.5-20%). Possible
mechanism of such preparation activity is radioactive isotope fractionating
between the soil and the plant, affected by microbial community of soil and
plant surface, under the influence of Albit.

Below are given the main toxicological characteristics of
Albit (according to the data of R&D Center of Toxicology and Hygienic Regulations
of Biological Preparations, Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russian
Federation):

Acute inhalation toxicity. LD50 of single endotracheal
introduction of preparative form of Albit for white rats exceeds maximal tested
and technically reachable concentration – 4166 mg/m³ (2375 mg/m³ of
dry substance). This means that even the highest concentration which they could
technically test in the lab is still lower than LD50 (cannot kill
50% of tested rats). So, LD50 concentration of Albit is very high,
and the toxicity of the product is very low. The higher is LD50,
the less toxic is the product.

Acute peroral toxicity. LD50 of preparative form of Albit
is 28060 mg/kg for rats and 17780 mg/kg for mice (15994 and 10135 mg/kg of
dry substance respectively).

Albit is approximately 8 times less toxic than table salt (LD50
for rats 3320 mg/kg) and 22 times less toxic than aspirin
(LD50 = 1240 mg/kg).

Mucous membranes and skin irritant activity. Irritation of
skin at single (4 hours) and multiple (20 applications within 30 days) applications
is not detected. Irritant activity to mucous membranes of rabbit eyes at single
application is estimated to be weak; threshold irritation concentration of
Albit is 25%.

Subacute peroral toxicity (cumulative properties). Cumulative
action of endogastric introduction of Albit (2800 mg/kg) five times a week
during 2 months to rats was not detected; there were no cases of animal deaths,
so accumulation coefficient was not revealed. According to results of clinical
observations of animals, hematological assays of blood, assays of urea composition
and pathomorphological tests there was no noticeable changes in comparison
to control. So, Albit does not have any cumulative activity.

Subacute cutaneous toxicity. According to results of clinical
observations of animals, hematological assays of blood, assays of urea composition
and pathomorphological tests, Skin absorbtion activity of twenty 4-hour/day
applications of Albit to rats (6500 mg/kg) during 30 days was not detected.
Albit is not dermatologically hazardous.

Subacute inhalation toxicity. Albit is not inhalation hazardous,
since its preparative form (paste) and components are not volatile, the bioformulation
is low-toxic at peroral and inhalation introduction (4th class of danger).

Sensibilizing activity. Albit being repeatedly introduced
to laboratory animals (rats and mice) through skin or respiratory tract did
not provoked any delayed-type hypersensitivity or immediate hypersensitivity
in experiments in vivo and in vitro.

Immunotoxic activity of Albit (examined with measurement
of phagocitary activity of peritoneal macrophages and concentration of T and
B lymphocytes) at parenteral introduction to guinea pigs was not detected.

In addition to its own low toxicity, Albit is used in combination with chemical
pesticides to reduce or even completely abolish their toxic activity to plants.
It is the cause of high effectiveness of mixtures of Albit and fungicides,
herbicides and insecticides. In details, this phenomenon is described
here.

Environmental friendliness of Albit has its disadvantages too.
For example, due to its low toxicity Albit is easily degraded by natural microbial
community if placed on the surface of seeds or vegetative parts of plants.
Therefore, Albit can not remain intact on the surface of seeds for long time,
and presowing seed treatment with Albit should be performed at most 24 hours
prior to sowing (planting). Joint application of Albit with chemical seed treatment
agents (which act as preservatives in this case) might considerably prolong
shelf life of the treated seeds (up to several months).